A GLIMMER of hope has been given to save Henley Green Community Centre as it faces closure.

The centre, in Wyken Croft, opened two years ago following a grant of #1.2million from Coventry's New Deal For Communities fund, the government-backed organisation which aims to improve housing, education and jobs in Wood End and Henley Green.

But in recent months the group has faced an uphill struggle to pay staff and meet debts of more than #15,000.

In June, committee members had to make their full-time manager redundant and have since been keeping the centre open with four part-time workers and a small team of volunteers.

Volunteer chairwoman of the committee Pat Watson admitted if things did not improve they would be forced to go into liquidation within two to three months.

But Wayne Brewster, performance and commissioning manager at the NDC offices in Wood End, said: "As things stand currently, there will be no imminent closure."

He said: "The intention was that by the end of the first year of the project the committee would have prepared a business plan that would determine how the operation would become self-funding.

"NDC is supporting the committee in all its decisions and will be working closely with Coventry City Council and partners to look at ways to keep the centre open for the community."

And Janice Nichols, head of neighbourhood management at the council, pledged: "We will be doing what we can to make sure the community centre has a viable future."